Flutter dampener



May 10, 1949. R. J. WOODS FLUTTER DAMPENER 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 23, 1945 INVENTOR ROBERT J. Wooos @w, M M QMF May 10, 1949. R. J. WOODS FLUTTER DAMPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 23, 1945 muzeasaa g B n no 32 25 INVENTOR ROBERT J. Wooos Q QD QMM Patented May 10, 1949 DAMPENERZ.

Robert. .L' wbodfs', Grand Island, N; Y.', assignon toBellAircr-aft Corporation; Wheatfiel'dgNQYL My. invention relates in generalf to" dampening devices for use upon airplanes, and in particular tcrdevices fondampening i'oscillationsf and thereby eliminating" possibility" of" flutter of" adjustable airplane parts such as the ailerons; elevators,- wing flaps; and the like.

The principal object of my invention has been to provide animproved device for pivotally mounting an aircrait control surface such 4 as an elevator, or wing flap; or aileron I ofam airplane,- combined: with an). improved" dampening. device for stabilizing such members and eliminating flutter thereof during flight?- Anotherobject has been to"provideanimproved flutterdampening device having means for 'regu latingthe:fiuid-brificesthereofin accorda'nce with the fluid 'viscosity variations" duetti, t'emperattire changes.-

Moreover, my device incorporates means 'for easily and quickly aligning the fixed and movable' airplane parts-when being assembldz' Furthermore; theinvention employs an. ar rangement of fixed and movable brackets straddl'ed': relatiorr thereby providihg a device of the character described which is: of improved structural simplicity and ruggedness;

The above-ob' jeots and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings: of which? F gv is a side elevation-'- of; my device showing it in the position occupied when. attached to-air+ plane parts;

Fig. 2 is'a plan-view ofth e device;

Fig. 3fis a sectional elevation of the device taken on line III III of FigzuZi and Fig. 4' iSsai' transverse, fragmentary sectional view taken orflinh.IVIlZ of Bier. 3.

The devicecompltises. a. housing It) having. a centrally arrangedbore H. extending from; one

endthereofr and closedby means iof as plug; 12,

screw-threaded into the, end of; the bore. The exterior: of? the housinerisiformedi in partwith; a substantially spherical surfaceabout which? is placed; a split ring I 4. having. an engaging spherical surface 15. This ningiissmountediina suitable bore l6 formed. irLthefi'xed bracket 11 where it is heldagalnst ashoulderfl by means of a ringiretalner f8. keyway I9 is formed; the. s herical: portion pofsi the: housing, and? as key pin 20 engages this keyway. The pin is forced I into locking position by means of a lock screw 2|. The key pin thereby not .only keeps the housing from turning relatively with the bracket but also serves to lock the bracket in its spherical adjustment. The bracket is provided with arms 28- which extendrearwardlyand which are attached by suitable'means to the stabilizer or other fixed part-290i the, airplane structure.

The device is provided withan-osci-llati-ngz shaft- 2-2- mounted in -onetend of thecasing withim a suitable-bearing 23.-andat itSflODIJOSitB. end :within albea ringg ld-provided invthe-iplugf IZ-i. A suitable bushing Z5-forms pairt off each of these bearings and-=thedeviceis; sealed at eachend by means -05 suitablepackingswfie The shaiit 22 is provided with two oppositely arranged movable vanes 30 and" 3| which: are-mountedmithin-thebore H."- of the housing. Disks; 32 are mounted within the housin ito encircle the shaft, one-at each end" ofthe movable vanese Each dish is; positioned: against a shoulder 33 formed by ah- -shait enlargement 314 which! is: pneferably coextensive with said: movable varies The-plug; |2- whichiis ad' justazble serves to. hold A the? disks? in the proper relation-ship witmthe; vanes; Fixed vanes=- 3 5' and 36 are: mounted within. the bore M. of: the housing: and: engage-Z the: outer: periphery" of the. enlarged surface 34 of the shaft. These fixed va-nes are held implace bymeans- 'of pinsrll' extendingithrough theihousing andintothe vanes; Working: chambers 015,42; 43:; andiM are thus. provided: within: the: housing-,1v ID betweenrthe co:- actin'glmovable andflxed: vanes; Suitable passageways 5 45 are in the enlarged portion 34 of the shaft andserve :to 'connect thewvork ing. chambers with? eaclri: other through: a cen-- tra1ly= arranged: bore":- kfli: formed: axially through the: shaft: Z2 whereby fluid 1 will be permitted: to; pass from oneschambento another;. as will here in'after bedescribethv Mounted?- within 1- the bore: 465 of the shaft is a thermostatic" rod' .ma'cle; of a" material which has a. difierent coeflicientt of. expansion than that: of? the; shaft-ysow thatl under varying: temperature conditions the rod wilt expand: and contract axiallyxwith"relation:toitlieshafti The end 5*! of: this rodis. asrrangedi adjacent the? open: ends of. th'efpassagewayslfivwherei they 'enter' the bore 45;- whereby; under-r conditions of" expansion the endlvof' the rod? willtpaiatly. close the passageways; thereby restrictingithesflowofsfluid .therethrough; This rodfis carriediby'an adjusting. screw'52 which isxmounteds within: alsu-itable'.screw threadedi-bore 5'3 formed? in; one: end: of? the shaft 22;. whereby the axial position i (ifi'tlie thermostatic rod: with respect to the passageways 45 may be adjusted. So as to assure movement of the rod with the screw 52 the end of the rod is fixedly mounted within a bore 54 formed in the end of the screw, and it is preferably secured to that screw by means of soldering or pining at 55. A look nut 56 serves to retain the screw and the rod in their adjusted positions. Suitable packing means it are carried by the rod for sealing it within the bore against leakage of fluid.

The opposite end 6! of the shaft is formed with a centrally arranged bore 62 within which is mounted a plunger 53, suitable packing means 64 being provided to seal the joint therebetween. The plunger is provided with an outwardly extending stem 81 about which a helical spring 55 is disposed. The exterior surface of the shaft is screw-threaded and mounted upon it is a nut 56 which serves to close the end of the bore 62 in the shaft and to retain the spring in its compressed condition. The end of the housing adjacent the end 6| of the shaft is formed with a reservoir 10 provided preferably by the space between the housing and the disk 32. A filler plug H is carried by the housing and a suitable passageway 12 connects the opening of this plug with the reservoir, whereby fluid used in the device may be replenished. The reservoir Ml is connected to the bore 62 of the shaft by means of a port 13, and the bore 62 is connected to the bore 46 by means of a port 14. Passage of fluid through the port 14 is checked in one direction by means of a ball valve 75 which is held against its seat formed by the end Wall 16 of the bore Alt by means of a helical spring 80, whereby fluid within the working chambers of the device will not be permitted to pass through the port 74, but when leakage of fluid from said chamber occurs, fluid will be permitted to pass from said reservoir into said bore 46 and to said chambers to thereby replenish the loss.

The shaft 22 extends beyond the casing at each end thereof and a serrated portion 82 is formed at each of such ends. A movable bracket 83 is engaged in a non-rotative relationship with each of such serrated portions of the shaft and is suitably attached to the movable control surface 84 of the airplane.

From the foregoing it will be clear that any fluttering action of the surface 84 will tend to cause oscillating movement of the shaft 22 within the housing l0, thereby tending to cause the movable vanes 30 and 31 to move back and forth within the working chambers 4 I, 42, 43, and M.

This forces the fluid to flow from the chamber of decreasing capacity to the chamber of increasing capacity through the restricted passageway, and the resistance to such fluid flow dampens the ac tion of the control surface. When, for example under high temperature conditions, the viscosity of the fluid is reduced, the thermostatic rod 50 will be changed in length to partly close the orifices is, thereby maintaining substantially the same resistance ofiered to'the passage of fluid during the dampening action "of the device under all temperature conditions. Should excessive leakage of the fluid from "the working chambers occur from'any cause, the pressure balance" of the fluid between the reservoir and the working chambers will be disturbed and fluid will therefore flow from the reservoir through the port 74 to the bore 46, thereby replenishing such loss. When the loss has been replenished, the ball Valve will again seat and thus close off the port 14 against reverse passage of fluid.

From the foregoing it will be clear that my device provides not only a suitable hinge connection for the aileron or other movable airplane control surface but also combines with the hinge connection suitable dampening means. When assembling the device upon the airplane, the brackets after having been secured to their engaged surfaces, may be conveniently aligned by reason of the spherical connection between the housing and the fixed bracket I! and secured in such position by means of lock screw 2i and key pin 20.

What is claimed is:

l. A flutter dampener for attachment to relatively oscillating parts comprising a housing having a spherically-shaped periphery, a shaft mounted within the housing for oscillation relative thereto, a first bracket securing one of said parts to said shaft, a second bracket secured to the other of said parts and pivotally movable relative to said housing in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of said shaft to permit initial alignment of said brackets with said parts, a radially movable key pin non-rotatively carried by said second bracket and movable toward the spherically-shaped periphery of said housing, and means for locking said pin to said housing.

2. A flutter dampener for attachment to relatively oscillating parts comprising a housing having a spherically-shaped periphery formed with an arcuate keyway, a shaft mounted within the housing for oscillation relative thereto, a first bracket securing one of said parts to said shaft,

a second bracket secured to the other of said parts;

and pivotally movable about the sphericallyshaped periphery of said housing, a radially movable key pin non-rotatively carried by said second bracket and formed at its inner end with a key engageable with the keyway of said housing to permit initial movement of said second bracket in a plane substantially parallel with the axis of said shaft, and screw means carried by said second bracket and engageable with said key pin for forcing said key into locking engagement with said keyway.

ROBERT J. WOODS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: I UNITED STATES PATENTS 

